Governor Pritzker Focuses on Stopping Trump, Avoids Questions on Hasan Piker

<p>Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois avoided multiple questions regarding streamer Hasan Piker during an interview on Sunday, emphasizing his focus on preventing President Donald Trump from gaining influence. "I‘m not focused on the streamers and what they‘re saying. There‘s a whole lot of them and they got a whole lot of views," Pritzker stated when asked by ABC's Jonathan Karl if the Democratic Party should denounce Piker, who has suggested that Iran having a nuclear weapon could bring stability to the Middle East.</p><p>Karl highlighted Piker's significant online following. Pritzker responded, "What I think we should be talking about and focused on is how do we stop Donald Trump in his tracks? How do we make sure that we‘re putting forward an agenda that really fights for the people who need it, which are the most vulnerable, the workers, you know, the middle class who really need someone to stand up for them. That‘s why I‘m a Democrat. That‘s why the Democratic Party exists. That‘s what we should be focused on."</p><p>Karl also inquired if Pritzker would accept an endorsement from Piker, noting that it was unlikely Piker would endorse him. Pritzker reiterated, "Again, I‘m not focused. I don‘t even want to talk about it. Hasan Piker doesn‘t mean anything to me or in my election."</p><p>Piker has recently participated in several interviews discussing his controversial political views. In a separate interview, he stated, "I think Iran, much like any other sovereign nation, has a right to defend itself, regardless of its domestic policies." He further elaborated that while he does not want Iran to possess nuclear arms, he believes that the Middle East would be more stable if Iran had them.</p><p>Some Democrats have criticized Piker's views, including Rahm Emanuel, who expressed his disapproval on social media, stating, "The great thing about America is that everyone is entitled to their opinions and free to express them, however dumb or immoral. That includes ‘Comrade’ Piker. The rest of us are just as free — obligated even — to call out this vile, hateful speech that only divides America."</p><p>Political strategist Kaivan Shroff commented on the situation, stating, "Pritzker can say Hasan Piker doesn’t mean anything to him, but that’s increasingly hard to square with reality. Piker is showing up in Senate campaign ads, campaigning with Democratic candidates and publicly talking about his relationship with AOC’s team. At some point ‘he’s just a streamer’ stops being an answer. Streamers are part of the political media ecosystem now." Shroff added that Democrats need to address the influence of streamers in the political landscape.</p>